Combination lock



Dec. 1970 B. L. BUDZYN 3543,55

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Feb. 17. 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I (2 90 39' 24 .74 I 1 100 S F I E. 5 INVENTOR.

BOLESLAW L. BUDZYN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W m q W 7 Q .J. E mw x U N, (W ma 9% W 6 \I h. WI Z 7 A v v x m M N 3i W m@ 0 v ow H H ow Z ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1970 B. L. BUDZYN COMBINATION LOCK Filed Feb. 17. 1969 Dec. 1, 1970 B. BUDZYN 3,543,545

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Feb. 17. 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'QRY 58 32 so so 480 94 INVENTOR. goLssLAw L. BUDZYN United States Patent 3,543,545 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 US. C]. 70-71 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination lock which employs a plurality of dials and sleeve means for each dial mounted on a shaft, each sleeve means being provided with a flange portion and a flat portion. A slotted bolt member is positioned adjacent the sleeve means with the dials extended through the slots. A latch member is positioned beneath and adjacent the bolt member. The latch member is mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to latched and unlatched positions -when the fiat portions of the sleeve means are in alignment and facing the bolt member. The latch member also is mounted for movement in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, such movement being imparted to the latch member by the engagement of a flange portion with the adjoining bolt member. The lock includes a frame member beneath the shaft, dials, sleeve means, bolt member and latch member. The latch member and the frame member are provided with cooperable means to lock the latch member in latched position when the latch member and bolt member are displaced by a flange portion or portions.

The invention relates to latching devices provided with keyless or combination locking means, and is more particularly directed to improvements in such devices, or combination locks as they are termed, of the type which employ a sliding latch member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In combination locks of the type employing a sliding latch member cooperable with sleeve means associated with the dials, it has been the prior art practice to provide the sleeve means with a flange portion and a flat portion.

When the sleeve means are oriented with the flat portions in alignment with respect to a slidable member, which may be the latch member, the lock is on combination, and the latch member may be moved to its respective latched and unlatched positions. Upon rotation of a sleeve means so that a flange portion is in the path of the slidable member, its movement is blocked, whereby the latch member is locked in latched position and the lock is off combination.

In the prior art combination locks of this type, substantial forces are imposed upon the parts, particularly the slidable latch member which usually is spring mounted.

Where, for example, the combination lock is used in conjunction with a luggage case and the case is heavily packed, a high measure of tension is imposed upon the latch member in the effort to latch the device to the hasp. The stresses upon the parts tend to reduce the effectiveness of the lock. Also, the direct involvement or coaction of the latch member with the sleeve means imposes limitations upon the movement of the latch member for its essential hasp-engaging function.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A combination lock constructed in accordance with the invention includes a bolt member positioned adjacent the sleeve means associated with each dial. The sleeve means each have a flange portion and a flat portion. The bolt member adjoining the sleeve means is fixed against horizontal movement or movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft upon which the dials and sleeve means are mounted. The bolt member, however, may be displaced in a plane prependicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The hasp-cooperable latch member is positioned beneath and adjacent the bolt member, and is mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to latched and unlatched positions when the flat portions of the sleeve means are in alignment and facing the bolt member.

The latch member also is mounted for movement or displacement in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft toward a frame member. The latter member is located beneath the shaft, dials, sleeve means, bolt member and latch member, and serves, together with a face plate member, to enclose and protect the components. The movement of the latch member perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft is accomplished when a sleeve means is rotated to cause a flange portion thereof to displace the bolt member and its associated latch member toward the frame member. Resilient means in engagement with the latch member normally urges the latch member and the overlying bolt member toward the sleeve means. The latch member is provided with means cooperable with means provided by the frame member to lock the latch member in latched position upon the displacement of the bolt member and the latch member as aforesaid.

By interposing the bolt member between the rotatable sleeve means and the latch member, the latch member is not directly engaged by the sleeve means. As a result, the latch member is not hampered in the exercise of its primary function-full and free movement for engagement with a hasp.

Moreover, by utilizing cooperable means provided by the latch member and the frame member to lock the latch member in its latched position, a rugged construction is obtained. The latch and frame members lend themselves to manufacture of heavy metal stock, thereby furnishing substantial resistance to the forces which may be imposed upon the parts.

Also, the combination lock of the invention is constructed so that the dials are secured against rotation in the unlatched position of the latch member. As a result, a serious problem encountered in connection with combination locks is overcome. It has been found that prospective customers of equipment provided with combination locks, for example, luggage or other containers or receptacles, are tempted to manipulate the locks before becoming familiar with the written instructions which accompany the locks. As a result of the tampering, the on combination is lost. The articles with the locks thereon must be returned to the manufacturer. In addition to shipping charges, the manufacturer must bear the expense of trying to salvage the locks, if possible. By preventing the rotation of the dials in the unlatched condition of the lock, this problem is greatly minimized.

These, and other advantages and improved results furnished by the combination lock of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrated and preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a combination lock made in accordance with the invention in association with a hasp, this view also showing the lock and hasp as secured for example to a luggage case, which is partially shown;

FIG. 2 is a transverse, vertical cross-section taken approximately in the plane of line 2-2 of FIG. 1, this view showing the lock in off combination condition;

FIG. 3 is a transverse, vertical cross-section taken approximately in the planes of line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal, vertical cross-sectional view taken in the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 1, this view showing the lock in off combination condition;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, except that the lock is shown on combination;

FIG. 6 is a transverse, vertical cross-sectional view taken in the plane of line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse, vertical cross-sectional view taken in the plane of line 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a transverse, vertical cross-sectional view taken in the plane of line 88 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the inner side of the frame member component of the assembly;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of the bolt member component of the assembly, this view also showing means provided by the face plate member, partially shown, cooperable with means provided by the "bolt member;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged top plan view of the spring member which is cooperable with the latch member; and

FIG. 12 shows a dial with an associated sleeve.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a combination lock made in accordance with the invention comprises a combination lock A for cooperation with a hasp B. Generally, the combination lock A comprises a face plate member C, a shaft D, a frame member E, a bolt member F, a latch member G, dials H, sleeve means I, and resilient means I cooperable with the latch member.

The face plate member C is provided with a plurality of aligned spaced slots 20. The shaft D is mounted within the face plate member. The dials H are positioned to extend partially through the slots, and sleeve means I for each dial are mounted on the shaft. As shown in FIG. 12, each sleeve means has a flange portion 22 and a flat portion 24. As shown in FIG. 10, the bolt member F is provided with a plurality of spaced slots 26 to permit the dials H to be extended therethrough. The bolt member is positioned adjacent the sleeve means I. The latch member G, which is provided with hasp-cooperable means 28, is positioned beneath and adjacent the bolt member F. The frame member E is beneath the shaft, dials, sleeve means, bolt member and latch member and is connected to the face plate member C.

The latch member G is mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft D to latched and unlatched positions when the flat portions 24 are in alignment and facing the bolt member F, on combination as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The latch member G also is mounted for movement in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft D toward the frame member E. This latter movement is imparted to the latch member by the engagement of a flange portion 22 of a sleeve means with the overlying bolt member F. The resilient means or spring I is in engagement with the latch member and acts to normally urge the latch member G, and the adjoining bolt member F, toward the sleeve means I. As shown in FIG. 7, the latch member is provided with means 30 cooperable with means 32 provided by the frame member E to lock the latch member in latched position, or off combination.

In the illustrated and preferred form of the invention, the sleeve means I are each in the form of a sleeve separate from each dial H. The sleeves and dials are made with cooperable means for releasably keying them together to permit the selection of a combination of ones own secret choice. However, a number of advantages of the invention may be realized without the inclusion of means for changing the combination. Thus, each dial may be provided with integral sleeve means, whereby the on combination would be set by the lock manufacturer,

4 and such combination may be supplied on a printed card to the purchaser of the product (luggage case, container or other other receptacle) having the combination lock assembled therewith.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated, the combination locking means includes three separate sleeves and three dials. With three dials each having ten indicia or numbers thereon, there are one thousand different possible combinations available. It will be understood that any desired number of dials may be used to furnish the desired number of available combinations.

In greater detail, the dials H are each provided with indicia or numbers in equidistantly spaced relation on the outer circumference. Between adjacent numbers, there are grooves 34 adapted to receive means provided by a dialcooperable spring member K (FIGS. 2 and 6) so that the dials when related to their respective sleeve means or sleeves I mounted on the shaft D may be releasably maintained in selected circumferential position. The dialcooperable spring K is supported upon the frame member E.

Referring to FIG. 12, each dial H has a central opening 36 through which the shank 38 of a sleeve I is extended (FIG. 4 and 5). Each sleeve has a central bore 40 of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft D. At one end thereof, each sleeve is provided with the flange portion 22 having a larger diameter than the central opening 36 of a dial. The flanged end of the sleeve is provided with the flat portion 24. At the juncture of the flange and the sleeves shank, a detent or detents 42 are provided. On one side of each dial, circumferentially arranged detent-receiving recesses 44 are provided adjacent the opening 36, there being one recess in alignment with each number on the dials outer circumference. The recesses 44 extend only partially into the side wall of the dial to receive the detents 42, whereby a dial and a sleeve may be keyed or meshed to one another.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sleeves I are maintained in abutting, end-to-end relationship by a coiled compression sleeve spring L surrounding the shaft D and bearing against an end sleeve and against a portion of the face plate member at the other end of the spring. The opposite end of the shaft D is extended through means 46 for disengaging the sleeves from their respective dials. Such means preferably is in the form of a lever rotatably mounted on the shaft. The lever extends through a cutout 48 (FIG. 9) in the frame member so that the lever may be grasped between the fingers. The cutout 48 is in communication with a larger opening 50 to allow the lever to be rotated and releasably held after the lever is moved to push the sleeves I out of engagement from their respective dials H against the force of the sleeve spring L (to the left as viewed in FIG. 5). Then, the dials may be rotated to a selected combination at the front of the device. Rotating the lever back into the cut-out 48 causes the sleeves and dials to be re-engaged by the detent-recess arrangement 42, 44.

The lever can only be moved to disengage the sleeves from the dials when the flat portions 24 are oriented so that the lock is on combination as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. When so oriented, the sleeves may clear the adjacent bolt member F. Also, with such orientation of the sleeves, the latch member G may be moved from latched position (FIG. 4) to unlatched position (FIG. 5) and vice-versa. The movement of the latch member is accomplished by a puller M connected to the latch member in a manner to be subsequently described.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, the shaft D, with the dials H, sleeves I, sleeve spring L and shift lever 46 thereon, preferably is secured in place by cooperable means provided by the face plate member C and the frame mem ber E. It is preferred that the face plate and frame members be made as die cast parts. The face plate member is provided with longitudinally spaced, vertical elongated recesses 52 and the frame member is provided with intes gral, upstanding projections 54 positioned in the recesses to furnish longitudinally spaced bearings for the shaft upon the connection of the face plate member to the frame member. The face plate member may be provided with pairs of longitudinally spaced, downwardly extended connecting studs 56, the ends of which are extended through pairs of openings 58 in the frame member (FIG. 9), and then headed over to secure the connection of the parts, as shown in FIG. -8.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bolt member F lying upon the latch member G is positioned immediately adjacent and beneath the sleeves I. This relationship of the bolt member with respect to the sleeves in permitted by the slots 26 through which the dials are extended with a slight amount of clearance. The dials prevent movement of the bolt member in a longitudinal direction, or in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft D. However, the bolt member may move in a vertical plane, as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5, or in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Such movement occurs when a flange portion 22 engages a solid portion 27 of the bolt member adjacent a slotted area, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Also, as will be subsequently explained, such movement can only occur when the latch member is in its fully latched position (FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 1, the latch member G comprises a pair of transversely spaced, longitudinally extending sides 60 bridged by the ends 62, 64. The part preferably is made as an integral piece and, as shown, possesses a relatively large, substantially rectangular opening 66-. The opening is dimensioned so that the latch member clears the dials H which extend through the opening, thereby allowing its movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The bolt member F rests upon the spaced side arms 60 of the latch member as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6.

As hereinbefore explained, the bolt member is held against movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft because the width of each of its slots 26 is only slightly greater than the thickness of a dial. To implement fixing the bolt member against movement in such direction, the bolt member may be provided with a notch 68 within which is received a rib 70 provided by a side wall of the face plate member C as shown in FIG. 10. The face plate member is formed with downwardly extending side walls 72' and end walls 74 so that the operating parts of the mechanism are enclosed and protected upon the connection of the face plate member with the frame member by the aforementioned connecting studs 56. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the bolt member and latch member have a width slightly less than the distance between the side walls of the frame member.

The latch member spring I is provided with a pair of spaced openings 76 through which a pair of the aforementioned connecting studs 56 (at the left side of the assembly as viewed in FIGS. 4 and are extended to secure the spring member against the frame member. As shown in FIG. 11, the spring I is provided with a notch 77 to clear the adjacent bearing projection 54 for the shaft. The spring has a pair of transversely spaced arms 78 which are angled and bent, and bear against the underside of adjacent portions of the sides 60* of the latch member. Thus, this spring acts to nonmally urge the latch member and the bolt member toward the sleeves I.

As shown in FIG. 7, the end 62 of the latch member is provided with the means for cooperation with the means 32 of the frame member. The end 62 is deformed or swaged to provide a projection extending downwardly out of the plane of the end 62. The frame member is formed to provide a recess 32 to receive the projection 30. The frame member also is provided with means cooperable with the latch member projection 30 to prevent rotation of the sleeves, except when the latch member is in the latched position shown in FIG. 4. For this purpose, a platform 80 is provided by the frame member immediately adjacent the recess 32. The parts are dimensioned so that the latch member projection 30 rides upon the platform for all movement of the latch member except when the latch member is in its fully latched position, or at the extreme left as shown in FIG. 4. In this position, the latch member projection is received within the recess 32 and locked against movement toward unlatched position when a dial and its keyed sleeve are rotated from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the position shown in FIG. 2.

By having the latch member projection 30 firmly engage the platform 80 for all movement of the latch member except when the latch member is in the fully latched position as shown in FIG. 4, the portions 27 (FIG. 10) of the bolt member adjacent the slots 26 are caused to firmly press against the fiat portions 24 of the sleeves. As a result, the dials cannot be rotated to off combination in the unlatched position of the latch member as shown in FIG. 5, or any partially unlatched position. With the latch member in the locked condition as shown in FIG. 4, the lifter spring I returns the latch member to the plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft D when the dials are rotated to place all flat portions 24 of the sleeves in alignment and facing the bolt member F as shown in FIG. 6.

As previously indicated, the latch member G is mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft D and a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Actually, the latter motion in volves a tilting of the latch member. To permit such movements, the latch member is connected to the puller M by a ball joint. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the end 64 of the latch member is provided with an aperture 82 within which a ball 84 is positioned. The puller M is provided with a hollow extension 86 from the underside thereof which provides a vertically extending bore 88 within which a helically coiled compression spring 89 is positioned to bear against the ball at one end and a surface provided by the puller at the other end. As shown in FIG. 3, the puller also is provided with integral, downwardly extending, transversely spaced connecting studs 90 which are extended through spaced openings 92 in the end 64 of the latch member, and swaged over to connect the parts. To assure that the bolt member F shall remain in engagement with all the flange portions 22 when the tilting action occurs, the portions 27 of the bolt member may be provided with depressions 29 of graduated depth (FIG. 10) for the coacting flange portions of the sleeves I closer to the ball connection.

The spring mounted ball 84 is cooperable with a ramp 94 which is sloped on each side in a longitudinal direction as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5. The spring mounted ball and sloped ramp arrangement provide a snap action to resiliently maintain the puller, and the latch member connected thereto, in respective latched and unlatched positions. concomitantly, a mounting for the latch member allowing it to be tilted for locking in fully latched position is afforded.

The puller M is provided with an upstanding flange 96 to facilitate grasping between the fingers so that movement may be imparted to the puller. For esthetic purposes, the flange may be extended along the sides of the puller, and flange 98 may be provided along three sides of the face plate member as shown in FIG. 1. The puller is guided for the desired movement between latched and unlatched positions of the latch member by suitable guide means. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the face plate member C is provided with spaced longitudinally extending ribs 100 received in adjoining recesses 102 on the underside of the puller.

As shown in FIG. 1, the end 64 of the latch member is provided with an extension 104 having at the end thereof the inturned hook portion 28 for cooperation with the hasp B. The extension projects through an opening 106 in the side wall 72 of the face plate member as shown in FIG. 3. As is known in the art, the engageable faces of the hook portion 28 and the hasp B are matingly angled to facilitate the drawing together of the luggage case sections or container parts to which the lock and hasp are secured.

The combination look A and the hasp B may be secured to the parts which they are intended to lock together in any suitable manner. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the combination lock and hasp are applied to a luggage case. Where the face plate member is a die cast part as preferred, it is provided with longitudinally spaced, integral hollow connecting studs 108 which are extended through aligned openings provided in a luggage case shell S (FIGS. 4 and 5). The major height of the lock is extended through an opening 110 in the shell with side shoulders 112 resting on the shell adjacent the opening (FIGS. 2 and 3). A washer 114, which performs no function in terms of the combination lock, may be applied to cover the raw edges of a lining which would otherwise be exposed. The washer is provided with openings through which tapered rivets 116 are extended and into the bores of the connecting studs 108 to connect the combination lock and the washer to the shell S.

The hasp B is secured to the opposing case section or shell S by any suitable means such as headed rivets 118, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In the application illustrated, the hasp is positioned on the underside of its associated shell for coaction with the hasp-engaging portion 28 of the latch member. The peripheral edges of the shells may be provided with valance members V, V. The valance members do not constitute part of the invention. As previously indicated, the combination lock of the invention may be used in conjunction with any suitable container, receptacle, luggage case or the like.

I claim:

1. A combination lock comprising a face plate member having a plurality of aligned spaced slots, a shaft mounted within the face plate member, dials positioned to extend partially through the slots, sleeve means for each dial mounted on the shaft, each sleeve means having a flange portion and a flat portion, a slotted bolt member having the dials extended therethrough adjacent the sleeve means, a latch member beneath and adjacent the bolt member, resilient means in engagement with the latch member normally urging the latch member and the bolt member toward the sleeve means, a frame member beneath the shaft, dials, sleeve means, bolt member and latch member connected to the face plate member, the latch member being mounted for movement in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft to latched and unlatched positions when the flat portions are in alignment and facing the bolt member, the latch member also being mounted for movement in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft toward the frame member, the latter movement being imparted to the latch member by the engagement of a flange portion with the bolt member, and means provided by the latch member cooperable with means provided by the frame member to lock the latch member in latched position.

2. A combination lock according to claim 1 including a second means provided by the frame member adjacent the means to lock the latch member in latched position, said second means also being cooperable with the means provided by the latch member to prevent rotation of the dials in the unlatched position of the latch member.

3. A combination lock according to claim 1, wherein the means provided by the latch member cooperable with means provided by the frame member to lock the latch member in latched position comprises a projection on the latch member adapted to be received in a recess in the frame member.

4. A combination lock according to claim 3 including a platform adjacent the recess cooperable with the pro- 8 jection on the latch member to prevent rotation of the dials in the unlatched position of the latch member.

5. A combination lock according to claim 1 including a puller connected to the latch member.

6. A combination lock according to claim 5, wherein the puller is connected to the latch member by a ball joint.

7. A combination lock according to claim 6, wherein the ball is spring mounted and related to a ramp provided by the frame member to releasably maintain the puller and latch member in respective latched and unlatched positions.

8. A combination lock according to claim 7, wherein the face plate member and the puller are provided with cooperable means for guiding the puller in movement to respective latched and unlatched positions.

9. A combination lock according to claim 1, wherein the latch member comprises transversely spaced, longitudinally extending sides bridged by ends to provide an intermediate opening dimensioned to clear the dials, the bolt member being supported by the sides.

10. A combination lock according to claim 9, wherein the means provided by the latch member cooperable with means provided by the frame member to lock the latch member in latched position comprises a projection provided by one end of the latch member and a recess provided by the frame member, the opposite end of the latch member having a lateral extension formed to provide means cooperable with a hasp.

11. A combination lock according to claim 10 including a platform engaged by the latch member projection to prevent rotation of the dials in the unlatched position of the latch member.

12. A combination lock according to claim 11 including a puller connected to the latch member by a ball joint.

13. A combination lock according to claim 12, wherein the ball is spring mounted and related to a ramp provided by the frame member to releasably maintain the puller and latch member in respective latched and unlatched positions.

14. A combination lock according to claim 13, wherein the face plate member and the puller are provided with cooperable means for guiding the puller in movement to respective latched and unlatched positions.

15. A combination lock according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve means are separate sleeves, the dials and sleeves each being provided with cooperable means for keying a sleeve to a respective dial, a spring for normally keying the sleeves to their respective dials, and means for disengaging the sleeves from the dials to permit changing the combination.

16. A combination lock according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve means are separate sleeves, the dials and sleeves each being provided with cooperable means for keying a sleeve to a respective dial, a spring for normally keying the sleeves to their respective dials, and means for disengaging the sleeves from the dials to permit changing the combination.

17. A combination lock according to claim 14, wherein the sleeve means are separate sleeves, the dials and sleeves each being provided with cooperable means for keying a sleeve to a respective dial, a spring for normally keying the sleeves to their respective dials, and means for disengaging the sleeves from the dials to permit changing the combination.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 57,249 8/1866 Decker 70--126 XR 3,439,515 4/1969 Gehrie 70317 XR MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner A. G. CRAIG, JR., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 70126, 312, 317 

